Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

BROTHERS JOHNSON

Session musicians with their own band. George (b 17 May 1953, Los Angeles), vocals, guitar; Louis (b 13 April 1955; d April 2015), bass. They played their first gigs while still at Santa Barbara Transfiguration Catholic High School; formed band Johnson Three Plus One with elder brother Tommy (drums) and cousin Alex Weir (rhythm guitar). George joined Billy Preston's God Squad '71, Louis joined '72; they quit '74 to work on their own material. They had four songs on the Quincy Jones album Mellow Madness '75, and toured Japan with Jones; on return he produced their debut LP on A&M Look Out For No. 1; it sold over a million, including hit singles 'I'll Be Good To You' and 'Get The Funk Out Ma Face'. Jones-prod. sequels Right On Time '77, Blam! '78, Light Up The Night '80 did well, as did singles 'Strawberry Letter 23' and 'Stomp!' Several singles also charted in the UK. They produced their own Winners '81; further LPs were best-of Blast and Out Of Control. They were prolific session players, separately or together on records by Patti Austin, George Benson, Crusaders, Pointer Sisters, Lee Ritenour, Grover Washington, many others.